The human body is an impressive piece of machinery, and your hands are no exception. With some training, they can perform delicate and complex tasks like manipulating pens and tools to create art. At the same time, hands have the strength and durability to hold a person's own body weight up on steep rocks. Unfortunately, there is a rapidly growing demand for hand replacements. But fortunately, scientists have studied human anatomy and biology and created human-like hands used as artificial…
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From traffic safety lights to neon signs, lights have a way of getting peoples' attention. So it makes sense that if a person wants to get attention, wearing clothing with built-in lights might help. These types of clothing, called electronic textiles (or e-textiles for short) already exist. Instead of using hard surfaces for circuits (like inside your computer or cell phone), e-textiles weave electrical parts like batteries, wires, and lights directly into wearable clothing so it can do…
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Elec_p076

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Familiarity with basic electronics concepts like positive and negative terminals as well as open and closed circuits will be helpful for this science project. Students with no experience building circuits may want to try the simpler but thematically similar project: [# ProjectIdea Name="Elec_p077" Value="HtmlAnchor" #].

Material Availability

This science project requires special LEDs designed for use with e-textiles, and it will be much easier to do with a soldering iron. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Average ($40 - $80)

Safety

Soldering irons can get extremely hot and burn your skin if you touch them accidentally. They can also cause fires if left unattended. Adult supervision is required when using a soldering iron, especially if you are not familiar with using one. Science Buddies recommends using lead-free solder, especially in homes with pets and small children.

Alternative energy sources are a big deal these days. One such source is the wind. Find out how a wind turbine can use the power of the wind to generate energy in this science fair engineering project. You'll design various blades to find out which produces the most energy, and put the wind to work for you!
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Aero_p040

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Time Required

Short (2-5 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Readily available

Cost

Very Low (under $20)

Safety

Use caution when using the drill. Always wear safety goggles when working with power tools. Adult supervision is recommended.

You have secret treasure that you need to keep safe from thieves. How do you keep guard 24 hours a day without skipping school and the rest of your important activities? You build a guard robot and have it do the hard work! You can build a guard robot using a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® set and the instructions in this project to guide your efforts. And do not worry: your secret is safe with your robot.
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Robotics_p004

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This project requires a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT 2.0 kit and a computer. See the Materials tab for details.

Motors are used in many things you find around your house, like your refrigerator, coffee maker, and even a lawn mower. In this electronics science fair project, you will get to build a simple motor, using a kit, and then test how the number of batteries (amount of voltage) used to power the motor affects its performance.
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Elec_p057

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Specialty items: You will need a switch motor kit, ready for assembly. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

Minor injury is possible, so be sure to wear safety goggles. Adult supervision is recommended.

Have you ever tried to ride your bike up a flight of stairs? Vehicles with wheels are great at traveling on paved roads or flat ground, but when it comes to stairs or uneven ground in the woods, wheels are not always such a great option. Inspired by real-life all-terrain robots, in this engineering project you will design and build a LEGO® robot that can travel over bumpy ground, through your yard, or even up a stack of textbooks — and almost anything else you can think of!
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Robotics_p009

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

Experience building with LEGO® and programming for LEGO® Mindstorms® is required for this project.

Material Availability

This project requires a LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT kit and compatible programming software. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

The electricity in your home probably comes from a power plant, but did you know that you can actually generate your own electricity? Wondering what it would take to light up a small light? This is your chance! In this electronics science project, you will build your own electric generator and investigate how to light up not just one, but two lights.
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Elec_p078

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

You should have the patience and dexterity to coil several layers of wire neatly (or find someone who can help you).
You will also need to hook up a basic circuit. Understanding electric circuits is not a prerequisite for this science project, though it will enable a deeper understanding of the electric generator.

Material Availability

A kit containing all the specialty items needed for this project is available from the .

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Neodymium magnets are very strong. Follow the safety guidelines in the Procedure for working with these magnets.

The electricity you use to power everyday devices is generated by electrical generators. These fascinating and powerful machines rely on magnets to function. Though they might seem extremely complicated, once you finish this science project, you will understand how, why, and when they generate electricity.
You will build your own generator, make small changes in how exactly the magnets are placed, and test when moving magnets generate electricity.
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Elec_p079

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- Less Details

Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

You should have the patience and dexterity to coil several layers of wire neatly (or find someone who can help you). You will also need to hook up a basic circuit. Understanding electric circuits is not a prerequisite for this science project, though it will enable a deeper understanding of the electric generator.

Material Availability

A kit containing all the specialty items needed for this project is available from the .

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Neodymium magnets are very strong. Follow the safety guidelines in the Procedure for working with these magnets.

How do you feel when you ride your bike into a strong wind? Do your legs feel like lead? How about when the wind is at your back? Does that make you feel ready for the Tour de France? In this science fair project, you will investigate how wind-powered devices, like pinwheels, also react in different ways to the direction of the wind.
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Science Buddies has several fun robotics projects, like the
and
,
where you use arts and crafts materials to make part of a robot. Have you ever wanted to design a more-advanced, sturdier, or fancier looking robot? Then computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D printing might be for you; both are simpler than you think! The directions on this page will give you an introduction to these technologies so you can design and print your own robot. Figure 1 shows an arts-and-crafts version of an Art Bot…
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You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=solt&pi=Robotics_p003&p=2

You may print and distribute up to 200 copies of this document annually, at no charge, for personal and classroom educational use. When printing this document, you may NOT modify it in any way. For any other use, please contact Science Buddies.